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Sound Off: Unwritten Rules Good or Bad for the Game?

03:26 PM - September 18, 2012 by RaychelSnr

Unwritten rules.

You'll find them in most every sport. They crop up and make appearances often, and controversy ensues about how audacious someone was for breaking them or how they were just playing the game how it should be played. Cue up this past weekend and Greg Schiano's order to have his players rush Eli Manning on a kneel down. On the surface, the play was simply playing football how it should be played: to win until the very final whistle. On the other, the game was for all intents and purposes lost and you only risked injury for everyone involved in a seemingly fruitless play.

So OS, what do you think? Are unwritten rules such as not going full speed on a kneel down important? Or, like Napoleon, should they become a part of history? Could they ever?

Sound off!

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Member Comments

# 61 gjneff @ 09/21/12 02:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by johnnyg713


	People that are saying this isn't a cheap call don't understand the game of football. You kneel the ball to run out the clock at the end of the game if you have the lead. You do this for a number of reasons; to make sure no one gets hurt, not run up the score, etc. This is a man's game, not a game for cry babies. What schiano did was classless. (Oh ya and I'm a Patriots fan)

How is this classless? If they fumble the exchange the bucs can recover and run it in for a score. It is extremely unlikely, but you have the chance to win on that play. His rutgers teams actually forced a fumble this way more than once. http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2012/09/17/rutgers-twice-forced-victory-formation-fumbles-under-schiano/
If you base it on unlikely to win, then should a team behind by 1 score that gets the ball at their own 5 with 1 second left be forced to kneel down because they aren't likely to win?

# 62 elgreazy1 @ 09/21/12 08:58 AM

You play the full 60 minutes, not 59:30. If you don't agree, then I present Exhibit A:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eZfzr9tB4oo

# 63 JG1986 @ 09/21/12 10:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by elgreazy1


	You play the full 60 minutes, not 59:30. If you don't agree, then I present Exhibit A: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eZfzr9tB4oo

I'm curious as to why Schiano didn't call a timeout with the last few remaining seconds remaining then and try it again? They had a timeout left as time expired...

# 64 AUChase @ 09/21/12 02:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JG1986


	I'm curious as to why Schiano didn't call a timeout with the last few remaining seconds remaining then and try it again? They had a timeout left as time expired...

They no longer would have had the element of surprise.

That's really all I can think of. They may have snapped it from the gun the next play or if the line actually blocks, there's no way Tampa gets it back.

# 65 kingkilla56 @ 09/21/12 05:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AUChase89


	They no longer would have had the element of surprise. That's really all I can think of. They may have snapped it from the gun the next play or if the line actually blocks, there's no way Tampa gets it back.

This pretty much admits that they knew the protocol and knew it wasn't the norm. However it wasn't illegal and they can do what they want in that situation so it is what it is at this point. No point in dwelling on it. If he does it again then you know what to expect from the Bucs.

This reminds me of the Giants faking injury fiasco of last year. A big deal week 2 that really had no legs going forward into the season. Doubt we talk about this still in a week or two.

# 66 Basketballin @ 09/23/12 11:21 PM

As far as unwritten rules, people are going to think you're reckless if you don't abide by them but those are also the same people that don't go 100% on every play of a game or practice. One of my coaches when I played youth football urged the necessity for giving 110% every second of the game until the clock hit 0:00. Unwritten rules are like double-standards, you generally don't care until you're losing.

# 67 ProfessaPackMan @ 09/24/12 12:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kingkilla56


	This pretty much admits that they knew the protocol and knew it wasn't the norm. However it wasn't illegal and they can do what they want in that situation so it is what it is at this point. No point in dwelling on it. If he does it again then you know what to expect from the Bucs. This reminds me of the Giants faking injury fiasco of last year. A big deal week 2 that really had no legs going forward into the season. Doubt we talk about this still in a week or two.

Heard that he did again yesterday too.

Glad to see that no one made a big deal out of this as well.

# 68 ImTellinTim @ 09/24/12 01:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ProfessaPackMan


	Heard that he did again yesterday too. Glad to see that no one made a big deal out of this as well.

I was keeping my eye on that game towards the end. He did. We all know what the difference was.

# 69 Yeah...THAT Guy @ 09/24/12 01:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ProfessaPackMan


	Heard that he did again yesterday too. Glad to see that no one made a big deal out of this as well.

They did it the last 3 kneel downs of the game. Used their timeouts to force the Cowboys to kneel it down 3 times instead of just once. The crowd was booing like crazy.

# 70 Cardot @ 09/25/12 12:10 AM

If the unwritten rules are that important, why not make them official written rules? It removes all ambiguity and degrees of interpretation.

# 71 CoachDavid @ 09/25/12 12:42 AM

These rules are not new rules. They are apart of sportsmanship. Its not like these guys don't know and talk to each other.
Its a game which is play for entertainment. This is a topic which anonymous opponents debate the finer details of internet conduct.
When you have to look a person in the face you follow the rules or face ridicule of your person and prove you are not a trust worthy person.
So no this is not bad for the game.

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Sound Off: Unwritten Rules Good or Bad for the Game?